SHIMOGA: Last-minute efforts by the previous Government to make the government medical college in Shimoga functional from 2006-07 seem to have failed with the Medical Council of India (MCI) refusing to condone the delay in submitting a formal application before the last date specified by it.

That the opening of the medical college in the academic year 2006-07 is a remote possibility became clear from the fact that the application made in this regard did not come up for consideration at the monthly meeting of the MCI held in January, it is said.

However, officials of the Medical Education wing of the Union Health Ministry are reported to have suggested in a letter to the Principal Secretary, Health Department, to implead in a case filed by an Uttar Pradesh-based private educational institute in the Supreme Court seeking redressal on similar grounds.

It is learnt that though the application was forwarded to the Union Health Ministry by August 31, 2005, the last date set by the Supreme Court for submitting applications, it was returned on the ground that it did not contain documents relating to land acquired for the college.

As a result, the Union Health Ministry is said to have resubmitted the application along with documents pertaining to the land on October 14, although it was despatched from Bangalore by the end of September.

However, officials in the Union Health Ministry have suggested to the State Government that it need not send a fresh application for the establishment of the medical college from 2007-08 as the same application will serve the purpose.

Former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh had written to the Union Health Minister to consider Shimoga's case for medical college by condoning the delay in the submission of the application.

But it was not considered by the MCI, although the Union Health Ministry reportedly made a request in this regard.

The medical college in Shimoga can become functional this year only if the MCI issues the letter of intent as a special case allowing the local inquiry committee to visit the college in May or June. For this to happen, the MCI should consider such a proposal at its meeting to be held this month.

But there is nothing to suggest that this will happen in the absence of political will in this matter.

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